nursinglawbandit

25 Value Added Services to Offer Clients

See this article. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/sfb/lawArticleSFB.jsp?id=1202431410700&_ValueAdded_Free_Services_to_Offer_Your_Clients

Do you think this is applicable to consumer-oriented law firms such as nurse license defense firms?

Running a Lean and Mean Law Office: Bigger isn't always Better

I never hard the urge to be a managing partner of my own law firm with a few associates working under me and working with other law partners. It could be done with a licensure defense practice in three states.

I worked and clerked in large law firms but at the end of the day, big law didn't fit my personality or my client base. I wanted to work with nurses and these types of cases are not big money by any means. A large law firm represents physicians, hospitals, health systems, dentists, etc. This is where the money is so I was told.

Last year I even pondered hiring a nurse to work for me. To assist me with reviewing cases and contacting clients. I changed my mind because I have alot of ideas and I incorporate these ideas into my law or consulting practice and I don't want anyone taking my ideas or concepts and starting their own business or offering similiar services.

My decision to keep it lean and mean over the years has paid off. I utilize Office Suites Plus for a virtual office and conference room and meeting space. This is also helpful because I meet with clients not only in Cinti, but also Columbus, Louisville, Lexington, and Indianapolis and I use the Office Suites Plus locations in those cities.

I am meeting a client in Canton, Ohio this weekend and I will utilize a conference room at a local hotel for this meeting. I do this when I meet with clients in Ashland, Kentucky and the Bowling Green, Kentucky. You talk about a drive, we lost our cell phone signals driving from Cinti to Bowling Green, Kentucky. But I have Verizon Wireless now, not T-Mobile. That's another post.

I have a home office however I don't meet with clients here at my home although I do have a business and professional association meetings at my home. I have my eyes on a building about a mile from home. I could walk to work. I would like to purchase this building and use it as an office. I need more space and would like to have a law and nursing library for my periodicals. Even with this building, I would keep my contract with Office Suites Plus and my home office.

If business continue to pick up, I can see having a part-time receptionist to answer the phone and assist with appt. scheduling maybe in 2011. I am funny about my mail and checks so I would continue to open all my own mail and deposit my checks.

Law School Graduate vs. Licensed Attorney

I had client meetings in Indianapolis, Indiana yesterday and my dear sweet grandmother decided to ride with me to go shopping at Nordstrom (we are not blessed with a Nordstrom yet in Cincinnati) and stop at the new LIVE casino outside of Indianapolis.

A discussion of the Bar Exam came up and my grandmother mentioned that she knows several lawyers failed the Bar, one or more times and then decided never again to retake the Bar Exam.

I explained to my grandmother that you are a law school graduate if you graduate from law school but you are not a lawyer until you pass a Bar Exam.

This got me to thinking about individuals I know who never passed the Bar exam or a few who never took the Bar Exam.

Not taking and passing the Bar Exam was never an option for me. I have taken and passed three Bar Exams (on the first try I might add) and I practice law in three states.

What about you? I would think even if you don't decide to practice law, that being a licensed attorney, gives you more employment options, especially in this economy. What do you think?

Are the Days of Multi-Day CLE and CNE in Vacation Destinations gone?

I am revising my marketing plan and my budget for 2009.

I usually build in two to three thousand dollars a year for CLE and Continuing Nursing Education. I didn't spend the money I allocated for this year and probably won't spend the money I allocate for 2009.

I just can't stomach spending thousands of dollars to attend CLE and CNE in Florida, California, etc. Now, have a program in Las Vegas where I can not only sip champagne and play the slot machines, that's a different story, for me anyway.

I attended several webinars offered by Lorman Education on human resource and employment law topic topics this year. I attended a DUI seminar offered by satellite in Cincinnati by the Ohio State Bar Association. I attended the Center for American Nurses Membership Council Meeting however I didn't stay for the LEAD Summit because of a deposition. 

I like some of the CLE offered by the Indiana Bar Association Foundation but I don't like to drive to Indianapolis unless I am being paid to drive to Indianapolis. 

I have never attended a State Bar Association Convention, for either Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana.

 I always budget for CLE and CNE right along with budgeting to pay my license fees but I personally would like to see my CLE and CNE offered via teleconferences and webinars.

How are you holding up in this economy?

Its scary out here for professional services firms. As a solo, with a part-time legal assistant (who happens to be my sister) I am holding up okay. Business is actually increasing in my licensure defense practice.

I am continuing to market. I just finished a working draft of the 2009 Business and Marketing Plan for my law and consulting firms.

What are you doing differently now compared to last year?

Are you scared? I am not. As a RN (with recent home care nursing experience) in Ohio and a licensed attorney in three states I have employment options and this is comforting. My fiance is a licensed barber and his business is remaining steady throughout these turbulent times. We are both self-employed and plan to remain so throughout the R-word.

Are law firms laying off attorneys and support staff in your area?

Would You Pay $1,000.00 for CLE and training?

What is the most you would pay to attend a one day training seminar? Just registration.

What is the most you would pay to attend a two day training seminar? Just registration.

Whether or not it would lead to business and legal or consulting work in the future is just one of the considerations for me. I am considering attending a two day healthcare advanced mediation and healthcare arbitration training program. The cost just to register is $1000.00. For registration, hotel, car rental (I am not driving my boat to Chicago) and gas (its 5 to 6 hours drive from Cincinnati to Chicago), I would spend between $1800 to $2100.

I have wanted to attend this training for sometime (at least 5 years) however it bothers me to spend this kind of money on CLE and training. The firm's money is my money and I typically don't attend high priced CLE events.

The training would be beneficial to my law and consulting practices and would without doubt generate business and marketing opportunities for me.

What would you do?

Self-Help Center for Pro Se Filers

See this post about a legal self-help center for pro self filers that was axed.

http://www.law.com/jsp/law/sfb/lawArticleSFB.jsp?id=1202423757677

Do you think the government and/or state bar associations should fund such projects for access to the justice system? Will these types of efforts harm solo practitioners and small firm attorneys?

When I first read the article, I thought wow it seems selfish for attorneys to oppose the self-help center. However as I thought more about it I wondered how I would feel if a state nurses association offered a legal self-help center staffed by attorneys. Surely nurses would contact a legal self-help center affiliated with a state nurses association for assistance and counseling before contacting an attorney like myself.

What do you think about self-help centers staffed by attorneys?

I know you have a website and blog, right?

http://www.law.com/jsp/law/sfb/lawArticleSFB.jsp?id=1202423101062

I use typepad for my blogs and I have my website with networksolutions.

I don't mind paying for professional services. But I refuse to pay someone thousands of dollars to develop and update my website or my blogs when the technology exists to do this yourself. Its not difficult and I like to play with the formats and colors myself.

Accounts Receivable: When Clients Don't Pay

I am mailing out five letters this month to clients where I am officially starting to take steps to w/d as their attorney of record before the Nursing Board because of non-payment of legal invoices. "Taking steps to w/d" is required by the ethical canons.

I understand we are in living in lean economics times however I still expect to be compensated for the legal services provided. I recognize that legal services are low on the list of bills to be paid when working with individual clients.

But guess what? I don't hesitate to w/d from cases because in 98% of my cases I make payment arrangements with nurses after payment of the 1/2 of my flat fee in licensure defense cases. Some pay in a timely manner and others don't.

After three months of failing to pay invoices, I send the correspondence noting that I am taking steps to w/d. After I w/d, I mail an accounting of legal services provided (research, meetings, etc.), a refund (if any is due), and refer the nurses to the Bar Association attorney referral service.

I find that it is better to terminate a non-paying client than to let it roll on and on because after several months of non-payment, you probably won't collect anyway. I don't sue clients fees because as a nurse I couldn't imagine suing another nurse especially when I can terminate the attorney-client relationship and move on.

Professional Degree is Hazardous to Your Marital Health

See this article in the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120701350606879161.html

Women with professional degrees (law, medicine, and business) are more likely to divorce or be divorced at some point in their career. Is this a cost of doing business or the price for success that professional women must bear?

I am single and I have never been married. Actually, I will admit that I am a little scared to tie the knot. I have been a serious relationship for 5 years and we are living together. I consider him my fiance although we are not officially engaged and have no marriage plans for the immediate future.

I am not risk averse when it comes to business and my law practice but I am when it comes to love and "saying I do." I do like him and I do love him however I do not think I will say I do for at least a few more years.